District Judge elections in Northwest Louisiana are few this election cycle; Bossier- Webster open seats were settled when only one candidate per seat qualified to run for election. And in Caddo Parish’s district court, only two of the several judgeships are contested.

In the race to replace Judge Scott Crichton, who was unchallenged for his Supreme Court run, long-time Shreveport attorney Charles Tutt and political newcomer Trina Chu are courting voters for a seat on the bench. A visit with both candidates produced interesting interviews – first up is Charles Tutt; Trina Chu with be featured in the next issue of Forum in this space.

Tutt said his nearly 40 years of experience in virtually every area of law qualifies him for a judgeship:

“I have practiced law privately for 38 years. I’ve tried cases in Shreveport, in Oak Grove, in Lake Charles, in Baton Rouge – in federal court and state court – juries and non-juries and I believe I have developed a pretty good appreciation of what makes a good judge.”

Tutt’s experience includes serving as lead counsel in over two dozen jury trials, handling over 50 cases before Louisiana Courts of Appeal, successfully arguing cases before the Louisiana Supreme Court, in addition to the hundreds of cases he’s successfully tried in state and federal courts. He’s also served as counsel for the Caddo-Bossier Port for the last 35 years.

Tutt said experience has also allowed him to learn about what makes a good judge.

“I think the good judges that I’ve seen have generally the same kind of qualities and the first one that they all have is that they are able to show respect to everybody that comes into their courtroom, whether it’s the police officer, the prosecutor, the defense counsel, the defendant, all the witnesses – the judge pays attention to them – [good judges] respect their time – their courtrooms move better than some other judges,” Tutt said.

“Everybody says that the wheels of justice move slowly, and they do. But the judge can help. Good judges are prepared when they show up – they know what the case is about. They have some idea so they are not trying to catch up and they are there and ready when the witnesses show up, the witnesses get on – [judges] are taking care of businesses and the jurors aren’t sitting waiting in a room – waiting for it to go on and so forth. I think one of the main things that a good judge does is that he shows respect to everybody and one of the key elements there is respect for their time.”

Tutt also discussed the need for judges to know law. He said, “Good judges do apply the law, they don’t try to write the law. We think about that with the U.S. Supreme Court Justices and whether they’re interpreting the Constitution or whether they’re making law. You have to know the law and you have to have an appreciation of what the law is and more times than not, what the law ‘ought to’ be is what the law is.

“I might not like what they say and I might want to go to the Legislature and suggest to a legislator that they change that law, but I’m not going to try to change that law because that’s not my job,” Tutt said.

“I’ve always been interested in public service,” Tutt said pointing to his work with the Port Commission. He has the Port’s legal representative since 1977 and recalls the Port’s first  purchase of land in 1980. He currently works at the Port part-time – on an hourly salary.

“Now that I’m older – I’m 63 years old – my kids are grown and on their own and self-supporting and I don’t have to worry about them, I’ve decided that I could very well enjoy a time on the bench working with young people and with some of the young judges and some of the young lawyers, but putting to good use what I’ve learned in the last 39 years.”

A short list of Tutt’s community involvement includes serving as a past Chairman of the Shreveport Bar Association’s Pro Bono Project Board of Directors as well as past Chairman of the Northwest Louisiana Legal Services Board of Directors. He’s also a member of the Special Olympics Winners Circle and a member of Athletes Caring Together.

Tutt and wife Amo Johnson Tutt have been married for 41 years; they have two children and two grandchildren. The been members of Broadmoor Baptist Church for nearly 40 years.